4 things we learned on the first day of the volleyball season

Not only does this allow many teams to strengthen each other early in the season, but it also gives Crown Point head coach Alison Duncan – an IHVSCA awards voter – the opportunity to get to know some players from across the state.

“We always want to play against the best competition right at the start of the season,” Duncan said, “because we want to see what we need to work on.”

This year’s field was strong again. Cathedral, Crown Point, Illiana Christian and Munster came into Saturday’s tournament as winners of last fall’s regional titles. Chesterton and Lake Central rounded out the local teams in the field, while southern state rivals Brownsburg, North Central and Terre Haute South Vigo also posed a tough challenge.

There was a lot of volleyball played in the Hub City on Saturday, but here are four takeaways from the first day of play of the high school season.

Lake Central had a strong morning in group play. The Indians finally managed to win against Cathedral, defeating the Fighting Irish for the first time in three tries under Naveed Nizam. Lake Central’s morning also included a win over North Central.

Although the Indians lost to Crown Point in the semifinals, it was a close call. It remains to be seen what the results will be when the two meet in St. John on September 3 in the Duneland Athletic Conference.

“I think we put in a lot of effort and energy,” Nizam said. “This year, this team has focused on supporting each other, working together and not getting down when we’re down.”

The team also looks very different from last season’s veteran squad. This is Nizam’s youngest Lake Central team, which he believes is part of the natural progression of high school sports. In his opinion, LC showed poise on Saturday and the ability to continue to grow this season.

“Our veterans and our (four) seniors are leading the charge,” Nizam said.

These veterans are part of a new look for Lake Central.

Junior Lexi Iwema and sophomore Kailey Skurka, who both played midfield last season but moved to the outside this year, made big contributions Saturday. The pair will look to establish themselves in leadership roles this season. Mika Salinas and Lauren Smith are two of the seniors Nizam named who will look to make a big impact with more playing time.

Two other names on the Indians’ roster will be familiar to area fans: Brooklyn and Lillis Barth. The twin sisters are the younger sisters of Andrean baseball star and Notre Dame freshman Mason Barth. Both made their presence known on Saturday and will look to make a name for themselves this season.

Last season, Elle Schara accounted for 46.5% of Crown Point’s 1,200 kills. This season, Schara may be able to pick her spots.

Most of Crown Point’s players were on the court Saturday, but two players who didn’t play much in their first seasons stood out: Camryn Hadt and Ivy Henderson.

The Bulldogs took full advantage of the versatility of their offense on Saturday, winning in straight sets against Munster (25-11, 25-13), Lafayette Harrison (25-23, 25-18) and Lake Central (25-22, 25-21) before winning the championship game against Brownsburg in three sets.

While Elisa Algozine complemented Schara on the outside position last season, Hadt poses another threat to the Bulldogs as their offensive options continue to grow.

“Sometimes the first year is tough because you go from the club season with 14-year-olds to the 18-year-olds,” Duncan said. “(Hadt) had a really good club season and now in her second year she can really step it up and show her talent.”

Henderson adds a whole other dimension. Henderson is 6’4″, making him one of only two Bulldogs taller than 6’0″. Duncan described that size as a “buzzsaw” that the Bulldogs will look to take full advantage of.

“We’re so lucky to have Ivy on the block,” Duncan said. “She’s going to frustrate the guys on the other side. And we’ve got her playing in the middle and on the right side to isolate our offense and confuse the blockers on the other side.”

Crown Point will be a real threat to win the DAC and also to claim a sixth consecutive sectional victory.

This part of the season is crucial for the Chesterton Trojans.

And that’s a good thing, because with young phenomena like Luca Bombacino and Tenley Davis, the 2024 Times Athlete of the Year, the Trojans have high goals.

But Chesterton head coach Lindsay Nibert knows that iron sharpens iron.

On Saturday morning, Chesterton lost to Brownsburg in three sets (25-15, 19-25, 15-5) before defeating Terre Haute South Vigo in two sets (26-24, 25-22). Although the Trojans lost to New Prairie later in the day, Nibert knows these games will be very important for her team.

“We’re trying to improve our game plan right now,” Nibert said. “Because that’s what we have to do if we want to play hard in the postseason. We have to play against the top teams and those are the places where we can do that.”

Nibert’s team showed courage, especially in their match against South Vigo. The Trojans trailed 24-21 in the first set but rallied and scored five points in a row to win the set.

While Davis was dominant as always, Bombacino’s blend of power and finesse stood out. It’s something she looked to improve during the team and club seasons. Bombacino’s “toolbox” is something she is proud of and it landed her in the top 5 in kills in the DAC last season.

Meanwhile, Davis, who Nibert said will soon be going on a college visit, will continue to pose a threat in the back row as she can pass well and attack well from there.

The two hitters and Chesterton’s deep talent pool, including Riley Tosseng, Cassie Lange and Abby Parrish, will help Chesterton achieve one of its goals in 2024: winning the DAC.

With Delanie Voss and Avery Martin graduating, it’s safe to assume that Illiana Christian will be in a worse position next season, after all, these two have been pillars of the program over the past few seasons.

But don’t worry, because Alexa Miedema, one of the remnants of last year’s team, as well as new reinforcements helped the Vikings to fourth place on Saturday.

Everyone on the team knew Voss would be a difficult player to replace, but Illiana may have found a diamond in the rough: Dorothy Leep, an outside hitter who didn’t play for the Vikings last season but made her presence felt Saturday. Her play helped the Vikings to wins over South Newton and New Prairie and secured them the top spot in the group before losing to Brownsburg.

“(Leep) is definitely a different player than Delanie,” Vikings head coach Richelle VanderZee said. “Dorothy is very enthusiastic and wants to learn more. She’s never satisfied at one level.”

VanderZee credits the team’s leadership, including captains Miedema and Bella Borrero, for helping get the team on track early in the season.

For the Vikings, this tournament has been helpful in getting their schedule where they want it. This season, Illiana Christian moves up to Class 3A and will play in a sectional with Kankakee Valley, Lowell and Hanover Central. VanderZee believes this tournament, as well as other games on their schedule, will help improve their chances in the postseason.

“That’s why I like to participate in tournaments like this,” VanderZee said. “I don’t mind losing every game of the season if we are performing at the best we need to at the end of the season.”